My childhood was an adventure that many of you must have longed to do, and still dream of having that kind of adventure. We can all be a child at heart.


 My parents had friends who worked in the wildlife service and others who rescued and looked after orphaned animals, or was just lucky enough to have a different kind of pet.

My Nanny & Me

It was nothing unusual to sit on a sofa and have the pet porcupine come rushing up to greet you, quills quivering. He loved having his head scratched, not an easy thing to do when a porcupine forgets its full of spikes, and can't really sit on your lap. Or see a cheetah walk through the house and come and rub its head up against you.

Pens in the garden with treated animals waiting to be released back into the wild after having been caught or injured.The chance to play around with lion cubs or feed a baby elephant.

These are the happy memories, but there were sad times as well, poaching and death.

But I will always treasure these years.

As a child the hot springs was a great

place to stop, we would drop eggs into

the boiling water to have boiled eggs with

our sandwiches. It was quick and easy!

But the sulphur smell was sure a bit pongy!

Enough of the childhood for now,  let's get packed up and ready to go on safari and see what inspired me to paint.

It's 5am, up and ready to go to our vehicles, dawn is just starting, sunrises are always a spectacular sight. We are off to a little airfield nearby to fly us up to the game park.Then it's back into 4 wheel, bone shakers to travel around in. They have to be solid and sturdy to cope with the roads and tracks out here.



                                          



The vastness of the land has to been seen to be believed, and it's in these areas we hope to find the animal. They honour you by coming out to be seen.

This is one elephant who appeared quite placid until the ears flapped, the front foot started pawing, and the flapping ears, we did not hang around when the charge came,our driver put his foot down! I only remember it as one of many charges I have seen, but it was this that inspired me to dream of painting 

"The Charge"

Join me next week for another day on safari, be up bright and early, this is the best time of day or early evening for our viewing. Hopefully you will not be disappointed!